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Five Years Post-PASPA: The Spread of Legal Sports Betting in the USA

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Five years ago, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed by the Supreme Court, kicking off one of the fastest periods of gambling legalization ever seen in the USA.

The repeal of PASPA, which had prevented all but a handful of states from regulating sports betting, started a revolution in real money betting that has forever changed the US gambling industry.

Five years later, it’s time to look back at how the market has developed and the legal, economic, and social effects of this monumental change.

The Context: The Downfall of PASPA

PASPA was a federal law that came into effect in 1992. It included all states except Nevada, Oregon, Montana, and Delaware, which were excluded because their laws already had sports betting provisions.

PASPA outlawed sports betting in all other states, effectively banning it nationwide. This didn’t mean that sports betting wasn’t happening; it was just an underground, offshore activity.

PASPA remained in force until May 2018, when the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. This was thanks almost entirely to the efforts of New Jersey, under the leadership of Governor Chris Christie, who brought the legal challenge after trying to legalize online sports betting in 2011 and 2014. New Jersey argued that part of PASPA violated the anti-commandeering doctrine (the tenth amendment), which, in overly simple terms, prevents the federal government from coercing states to adopt or enforce federal laws.

The District Court first heard New Jersey’s case, then the Third Circuit, with both ruling against them. However, upon appeal, the case was heard by the Supreme Court (SCOTUS) on May 14th, 2018. SCOTUS agreed that PASPA violated the anti-commandeering principle, rescinding the entire act and stating that PASPA was meant to work as a whole, meaning that if part of it was not legally viable, the whole act must be struck down.

Legal Outlook: 38 States Legal, 12 To Go

With PASPA gone, each state now had the right to decide whether to legalize sports betting, with a majority opting to. As of November 2023, 38 states have said yes, passing new laws that allow retail sports betting. Online sports betting is also available in 26.

There are 12 states left to legalize. Three of them (South Carolina, Alabama, and California) face strong opposition, and the remaining nine are looking to introduce bills in the 2024/2025 legislative sessions. North Carolina and Minnesota are tipped to be the next to join the fray, and Oklahoma introduced a new proposal two months ago.

The legal landscape remains complex, with different rules, regulators, and taxation regimes in each state. On top of this, in certain locations, the presence of tribal gaming compacts has conflicted with commercial interests (the ongoing case of Florida sports betting and tribal opposition in California serve as perfect examples).

Growth of Online Casinos – Not Going As Planned

While there was no guarantee, many industry experts and commentators hoped that the legalization of sports betting would soon be followed by online casino regulation. However, thus far, only six states have legalized online casinos: New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Connecticut, the latest to join the ranks, passing HB 6451 in 2021. Since then, there’s been no further movement for online casinos.

Players outside the mentioned states may only use land-based casinos or free social gaming sites where available. Sweepstakes casinos are also available across the country, Idaho and Washington aside. As a legitimate gaming option, sweepstakes are taking the US by storm, but just like with real online casinos, players should use a review site to find the best options.

As sweepstakes casinos don’t require a license in the USA, expert advice such as Casino Cabbie’s Wow Vegas Online Casino Review highlights any security issues and the benefits and pitfalls of each site as well before players sign up, making them an invaluable resource.

Economics: More Than $220 Billion Spent On Sports Betting Since 2018

One of the biggest drivers of sports betting legalization is the promise of potential tax revenue. The US sports betting industry is enormous, and since 2018, more than $220 billion has been spent on wagers, contributing over $3 billion in state taxes. The revenue earned by states has been instrumental in funding local projects and new initiatives, as well as responsible gambling research and support.

More in-depth and up-to-date research focusing on the exact economic contribution of sports betting is thin on the ground, and the last comprehensive study by Oxford Economics was published in 2017. At the time, it detailed that the entire sports betting industry created over 216,671 jobs.

Due to the lack of current data, we’re left to turn to figures charting the impact of the entire gambling industry, which includes casinos and sports betting. According to statistics from the American Gaming Association in 2022, US gambling is a powerhouse industry, creating, in total, 1.8 million US jobs, with $104.2 billion in wages (these figures include the entire supply chain).

There can be no argument that over the last five years, US sports betting has been a substantial economic contributor, helping state governments recover from COVID-19, creating jobs, and stimulating economic growth.

Social: 77% of American Adults Support Legalization in their State

Legally and economically, things have changed rapidly in the States since the repeal of PASPA, but what about the social impacts?

Research shows that 85% of Americans think the removal of PASPA was correct, with 77% now supporting sports betting legalization in their state. Moreover, the number of Americans open to placing sports bets has grown by 24 million since 2019. With many enjoying the newly legal betting options available to them, public attitudes towards gambling as a whole have seemingly softened.

With many states also benefiting from increased government budgets brought through sports betting tax revenue, it’s important to recognize the benefits this has made to social provisions. Many states have used the influx to contribute more money to education funds and other social causes, like reducing homelessness.

A proportion of the money is also used to fund state problem gambling assistance, with many running state-based hotlines and counseling services. Nonetheless, in many cases, this funding is not enough to offset the increased rates of gambling harms caused by legalization.

Future Outlook: Challenges and Concerns

Looking forward, the US online sports betting industry has a projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.33% for 2023-2027, meaning there’s much more to come. However, this rapid growth will lead to some challenges.

Offshore gambling has been a considerable issue for the legal sports betting market. In 2022, The American Gaming Association estimated that Americans wagered $63.8 billion with illegal bookies, costing $3.8 billion in lost gaming revenue and $700 million in state taxes.

 

While offshore gambling is reducing, the latest data shows that 77% of online sports bets are now placed through regulated operators, compared to just 44% in 2019. However, things are not all rosy, and 48% of those who bet offshore believe they are placing legal wagers.

 

Gambling addiction also poses a considerable threat to the sustainability of the entire US gambling industry, with some states recently reporting problem gambling rates over 6%, which is three times the national average (to contextualize this figure better, the UK has a problem gambling rate of 0.2%). High rates of problem gambling twinned with rapid growth potentially represent a ticking time bomb that could rock the entire US industry.

 

It’s undoubtedly been an incredible five years for US bettors and sportsbooks; as a newer gambling market, the US must now look to more mature gambling jurisdictions to see what player protection methods work best and implement them sooner rather than later.

Emilia Kurzynska Team Lead of Responsible Gambling

SOFTSWISS Handles 16,000 Responsible Gambling Cases in 2025

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SOFTSWISS, a global tech provider of iGaming software solutions, reports strong results from its Responsible Gambling team for 2025, helping operators strengthen compliance, protect players, and adapt to evolving regulatory demands.

In the first half of 2025, the SOFTSWISS Responsible Gambling team reviewed around 16,000 cases, including self-exclusion requests, proactive interventions, and behavioural checks. Beyond measurable cases, the team continued to support ongoing monitoring and compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

Key initiatives of the team’s 2025 work included:

  • The launch of a Responsible Gambling Video Digest, a monthly animated series explaining RG policies and updates for operators and internal teams
  • Bilingual training modules for First Line Support and CRM teams, improving collaboration and consistency
  • Active cooperation with AML, Legal, and Complaints teams to ensure a unified approach to player protection
  • Participation in external training programmes, with certified learning for employees across departments

The Responsible Gambling team continues to enhance its Risk Scoring Tool in collaboration with the Research and Development unit. The tool applies machine learning algorithms to detect risky behaviour more effectively, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

Emilia Kurzynska, Team Lead of Responsible Gambling, comments: “Our mission is to ensure that player well-being is always a priority embedded in every process. The growing number of Responsible Gambling cases shows that awareness is rising, and we meet this demand with reliable tools and timely interventions to effectively support every operator.”

SOFTSWISS places responsible gambling at the heart of its approach, enabling operators to enhance compliance, protect players, and adapt to regulatory changes. With rising awareness and increasing Responsible Gambling cases, the company provides reliable tools and timely interventions to ensure player well-being remains a top priority.

Partners and visitors are welcome to the SOFTSWISS Stand 4016 G at the SiGMA Central Europe Summit 2025 on 3–6 November to explore collaboration opportunities and share industry best practices, as well as take part in the live car assembly experience, explore innovative solutions, and discuss the key findings of the 2026 iGaming Trends Report.

 

About SOFTSWISS

SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 35,000 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Platform and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.

The post SOFTSWISS Handles 16,000 Responsible Gambling Cases in 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Redefine the Rules: GR8 Tech’s Heavyweight Rulebook Lands at SiGMA Central Europe 2025

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GR8 Tech is stepping into SiGMA Central Europe 2025 with a new playbook for iGaming leadership: The Heavyweight Rulebook. Built on the code of champions, the Rulebook defines the discipline, consistency, and relentless drive it takes to dominate the toughest arenas in iGaming. To create it, GR8 Tech gathered insights directly from iGaming’s top performers—the industry’s real heavyweights—turning their winning principles into a set of Champions’ Rules.

From November 3–6 in Rome, operators will find GR8 Tech at booth 5028-2, ready to share the rules and the technology that makes champions.

The Champion’s Rules: Heavyweight Results, Proven Standards

Attendees will see Heavyweight rules in action through demos, experiences, and conversations designed for operators who refuse to settle for average. Every Champion’s Rule translates into measurable business results with GR8 Tech.

  • Champions don’t wait. They launch first, and it shows: ULTIM8 Sportsbook can go live in as little as 7 days via iFrame integration.
  • Technology is the champion’s armor. Strong tools deliver strong results: +30% engagement uplift powered by AI-driven personalization, +50% GGR uplift with advanced sportsbook features and cross-vertical engagement tools.
  • Success belongs to the consistent. Resilience is built in with 99.99% uptime across global markets and the biggest world events, ensuring performance under pressure.
  • Partnership multiplies strength. With a revenue-share alignment model, GR8 Tech’s success is directly tied to that of its clients.

“In an industry as volatile as ours, no one wins alone. Champions don’t let one crisis consume everything—they keep moving, adapting, and performing under pressure. At GR8 Tech, we see partnership as the ultimate rule of the game: it multiplies strength, resilience, and results. That’s how real champions are made and that’s exactly what we’re bringing to SiGMA this year,” said Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech.

ULTIM8 Sportsbook: Two Paths to Victory

At the center of GR8 Tech’s SiGMA Central Europe showcase is the ULTIM8 Sportsbook, a high-performance solution designed to help operators rule new markets and dominate existing ones. In Rome, attendees will see the dual power of its integration modes:

  • iFrame — For lightning-fast launches with customizable branding. Get to market in days without compromising speed or margin.
  • API — A new addition for operators who want to build their own champion’s frontend. Unlock maximum flexibility with GR8 Tech’s rock-solid trading, risk, and data systems.

No matter the path, the result is the same: precision, performance, and profitability at scale.

The next chapter of iGaming is written by champions who play by the Rulebook.

Meet GR8 Tech at booth 5028-2, SiGMA Central Europe 2025 in Rome, November 3–6. Discover how the Heavyweight Rulebook can help you scale, localize, and dominate with confidence—and add your own Champion’s mark to the hall of fame.

The post Redefine the Rules: GR8 Tech’s Heavyweight Rulebook Lands at SiGMA Central Europe 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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ELA Games Joins Forces With ComeOn Group to Deliver Engaging Player Experiences

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Collaboration supports ELA’s growth while aligning with ComeOn’s focus on personalisation

ELA Games, a dynamic and innovative game development studio, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with ComeOn Group, a leading multi-brand iGaming operator. This collaboration marks a renewed commitment to creating immersive, personalised entertainment that delights and retains players.

ComeOn Group operates a proprietary in-house platform and a robust sportsbook function, enabling it to control and enhance every player touchpoint. The company has reinforced its strategy of data-driven personalisation, investing in technology and innovation to deliver tailored content and experiences to individual players.

Players across ComeOn Group’s brands will now have access to a selection of ELA Games’ most engaging titles, including Flame Fruits Frenzy, Cash of Gods, and Rabbit Winpot. Integrated into ComeOn’s proprietary in-house platform, these games form part of the company’s broader strategy to deliver personalised, dynamic experiences tailored to individual player preferences. By combining high-quality content with intelligent platform capabilities, ComeOn strengthens its ability to drive smarter content curation, targeted promotions, and enhanced engagement – ultimately maximising both player satisfaction and long-term retention.

Greg Kett, Director of Casino at ComeOn Group, said: “Personalising the player experience is at the heart of our product strategy. Through our in-house platform, sportsbook capabilities, and ongoing investment in personalisation tech, we empower ourselves to deliver tailored, secure, and deeply engaging entertainment. Partnering with ELA allows us to further enrich that journey with fresh and dynamic content.”

ELA Games’ Managing Director, Marharyta Yerina, adds: “We’re thrilled to join forces with a partner whose strategic vision resonates so closely with ours. ComeOn’s commitment to personalisation, proprietary technology, and product excellence makes them a natural fit. This collaboration lets us broaden our reach while contributing to a highly customised, next-gen entertainment experience.”

This partnership is a synergy of platform, product, and personalisation strategy. It underscores ELA Games’ mission to deliver best-in-class content and affirms ComeOn Group’s continued investment in personalisation, sportsbook development, and platform innovation.

The post ELA Games Joins Forces With ComeOn Group to Deliver Engaging Player Experiences appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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